The communication strategy is the keystone of any business , without which it is impossible to ensure visibility with its customers.
Integrated in the overall strategy of the company, the communication strategy ensures the proper execution of the communication objectives, which themselves derive from the Marketing objectives.
In fact, the communication policy is an integral part of the Marketing-mix .
This includes product policy , the price policy , the distribution policy , the communication policy , and advertising .
The goal of such a strategy is to ensure better visibility of the company, improve its internal and external relations , and optimize the communication budget .
What is the communication strategy?
Concretely, the communication strategy consists of achieving the communication objective, by breaking it down into coordinated actions , while respecting the communication budget .
It is essential to have such a strategy that will determine how you will communicate, based on key criteria.
Therefore, it will influence the way you will be perceived by your stakeholders: customers, partners, subcontractors, distributors ...
Communicating without having this guideline can certainly have devastating repercussions.
What are the challenges of communication?
Visibility, credibility, reliability
A company must first be visible to its target audience and its partners , this is notoriety .
Once the company has launched its products and services in the market, it will become concerned with its credibility .
The reliability , it will be an item on the confidence of its customers . The company must therefore commit to meeting the fluctuating demands of the latter.
Leadership
Above all, communication is defined as the art of conveying a message . This assumes the presence of a transmitter and a receiver.
In a project management context, a manager or project leader needs to share information, and to use his persuasion and communication skills .
The communicative leadership is a critical issue that allows the leader to have reflexes to adapt to the circumstances and to choose and better articulate their message depending on the speaker.
Having good neighborly relations with your employees and partners will be your key success factor in achieving your communication objectives . This is in particular the subject of a communication strategy.
Internal and external communication strategies
The key stakeholders of the company can be internal and external, it is important to adapt its communication strategy.
Internal communication
What is it all about first?
Internal communication focuses on the company's employees.
It is a communication strategy that consists of a series of actions, with the aim of building better team cohesion .
Within the framework of internal communication, various means of communication are used.
The spoken material, like interviews and briefs, and written materials - also called Print - like the intranet or internal notes, are the two types of media used.
It is important to choose the right medium , involve the right people , and measure the performance of actions .
External communication
It plays a crucial role in building and sustaining the company's brand image.
It is the window through which your stakeholders perceive you, and form an opinion on the image of your company.
Managing an external communication is not weightless. It is dependent on the success of internal communication , and vice versa.
Any bad rumor can negatively influence your image.
Likewise, your employees must be well informed of the processes, and informed of any change likely to impact their scope of activity.
How to design a successful communication strategy
Define a SMART goal
Any communication strategy begins with the breakdown of objectives into achievable actions .
As required by the principle of a SMART objective , the communication strategy must be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound.
Start by asking yourself the following questions:
Why do you want to communicate? To create or improve brand awareness, or to retain your customers or employees?
Here's an example of a SMART goal :
“Increase sales of the fiber-reinforced concrete range by the end of the quarter by 5% compared to the same period last year”.
Do an internal and external analysis
Your environment is constantly changing. Your communication strategy is affected.
It is therefore necessary to inquire about the trends as well as the strengths of the industry, in order to integrate preventive measures into your communication strategy.
To find your ideal strategic positioning, first consider doing a SWOT study , in order to identify your strengths and weaknesses , and better understand the opportunities and threats .
Also take an interest in the competitive environment , taking into account their strengths and weaknesses.
Define your strategic positioning
It is about your ability to distinguish yourself from the competition, to stand out from the crowd.
Concretely, strategic positioning is the formulation of your strategic benchmark that will guide your communication decisions.
In the form of a sentence, positioning is only visible internally as part of your communication strategy, because it reflects your ideal position in the market, as well as your customer's perception.
Here is an example of a positioning
“For high-end American families (your target), Volvo (your brand) is the only brand among its peers, which offers maximum safety (the unique value), because it not only offers the best safety ratings in its class In the event of a collision, Volvo is also an industrial leader, implementing new safety technologies on its main models, in particular the anti-roll stability system and the collision warning system in the blind spot. (Rationale for single value) "
Define the target audience
In order to develop key messages with the communication style adapted to each segment , it is important to know your audience well and to segment it
According to the authors of the work “Mercator” Baynast, Lendrevie, and Lévy, “Company communication influences customer perception by transforming needs into expected value, that is to say it helps to clarify and formalize customer expectations . "
The first step is therefore to clearly define your target .
Don't limit yourself to your clients, because remember that communication is about all key stakeholders in your project, including partners.
Take an interest not only in the demographic data of your target (age, profession, sex, etc.), but also in their purchasing preferences, and in the communication media they use; where the audience is often active.
Define the message
The choice of a relevant message is based on a communication style , a tone , your advertising slogan , your added value , and your visual identity. These are all elements that give the first impression on your brand image.
Depending on the type of communication: interpersonal, group, or mass : depending on the number of interlocutors, your message must be easily understood and remembered by your target.
Develop a project communication plan
Communication, whatever its type, can be complicated when it comes to sending the right message to the right person , at the right time , choosing the right format , to different people .
A project communication plan is then defined as part of the launch of the project, in order to frame , contextualize , and manage the various exchanges .
Define a media plan
Once you have mapped out your trajectory, now is the time to think about deploying your communication strategy into an effective media plan.